The present invention relates to an authenticating, anti-counterfeiting, and anti-diversion tracking system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for controlling and enabling the marking and controlling the marking of goods, such as basic materials or articles of manufacture or packaged goods, with a unique mark, symbol, or pattern for subsequent detection to determine such information as the final point of distribution of authentic goods, the amount of unmarked goods in the market, i.e., counterfeit goods, the source of entry of the unmarked goods, the authenticity of the goods, the product distribution channels for the goods, the durability and/or lifetime of the goods, and other information such as time and location of manufacture. The present invention further relates to the marking, tracking, and authenticating of documents such as shipping invoices.
In the commercial manufacturing world, it is not uncommon for counterfeit goods to be manufactured, distributed, and sold in direct competition with authentic goods. Counterfeiting has reached epidemic proportions worldwide, especially in the area of consumer goods including goods made from fabric, plastic, leather, metal, or combinations thereof such as clothing, handbags and wallets, perfumes, and other consumer goods. Counterfeiting of financial documents such as bank drafts or xe2x80x9cchecksxe2x80x9d is also widespread in that both the check document as well as the affixed signature can both be of questionable authenticity.
It is common for the counterfeit articles to be of high quality and closely resemble authentic articles. Indeed, counterfeit articles can so closely resemble genuine goods that consumers readily confuse the counterfeit articles with the authentic articles. Thus, there exists a need for a system and method which enable a manufacturer to encode data represented by a mark or symbol, to direct marking of goods with the mark or symbol, and to enable remote inspection stations to check goods, whether articles of manufacture or basic material or financial instruments, for authentic marks or symbols and track authentic goods. Heretofore, such a comprehensive system was not available.
For example, certain known systems suggest marking goods with different patterns. However, such systems do not suggest a system that directs the marking of goods with a selected mark and the detection of the marks at remote locations. The patents described below represent the art in the area of marking and detecting goods.
Problems encountered in the distribution of goods is not limited to the distribution of counterfeit goods. The clandestine or illegal diversion of the shipment and distribution of authentic goods presents a major problem in modern commerce. Goods manufactured at one location might be subject to controls, such as a tax, if distributed at a second location, but might not be subject to a tax if distributed at the location of manufacture or even at a third tax free location. Tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, and a wide variety of other goods and products fall into this category. Stated another way, authentic merchandise can become contraband if illegally distributed, diverted or xe2x80x9csmuggledxe2x80x9d.
As an example of a problem in the distribution of authentic goods, consider tobacco products. A tobacco product or xe2x80x9cproduction modulexe2x80x9d such as cigarettes, made by a legitimate manufacturer, might be taxable when sold in one state and not taxable when sold in another state. As a more specific example, cigarettes sold in the state of North Carolina are not subject to any excise tax. The same cigarettes sold in the state of New York are subject to an excise tax of, say, twenty five cents per pack of cigarettes. Tobacco companies typically increase the xe2x80x9cwholesalexe2x80x9d price of the cigarettes shipped to distributors in New York, and pay the excise tax directly to the taxing New York entity. Retailers in the state of New York compensates for the increased wholesale price by charging a higher retail price. Tobacco companies do not pay excise tax on cigarettes destined to be sold in North Carolina because no tax is due. As a result, the wholesale price of a pack or carton cigarettes in North Carolina is lower than the wholesale price for the same pack or carton in New York. If, however, cigarettes destined to be sold in North Carolina were illegally diverted to New York and sold at the New York retail price, an additional twenty five cents per pack profit would be illegally made by the New York distributor or retailer, and the New York taxing entity would loose twenty five cents per pack in revenue.
As illustrated in the example, there is a need to be able to track authentic goods based upon their destined point of final distribution. There. is a further need to be able to mark and track the goods by packaging or xe2x80x9cpackage modulexe2x80x9d. In the example, if only package modules comprising xe2x80x9ccasesxe2x80x9d of multiple cartons of cigarettes were tracked, unscrupulous distributors could distribute contraband cartons of cigarettes to be sold by the carton or to be subdivided and sold by the pack. Authorities would have no means for tracking contraband cartons or packs of cigarettes. Even if the product were marked and tracked down to the carton package module, individual packs of cigarettes could be retailed illegally with no means for detection. It is, therefore, desirable to mark all package modules for tracking. In the example, this would include marking package modules down to the cigarette xe2x80x9cpackxe2x80x9d level.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,547, issued on Feb. 22, 1994, discloses a method for authenticating articles including incorporating into a carrier composition a mixture of at least two photochromic compounds that have different absorption maxima in the activated state and other different properties to form the authenticating display data on the article, subjecting the display data to various steps of the authenticating method, activation of all photochromic compounds, preferential bleaching of less than all of the photochromic compounds, and/or bleaching of all the photochromic compounds, and subsequent examination of the display data following the various activation and bleaching steps by verifying means to enable authentication.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,205, issued on Aug. 30, 1988, discloses an identification method and identification kit based upon making up groups of microsized particles normally visible to the naked eye with each particle in each group being of a selected uniform size, shape and color. Coded identification is established by transferring a population of particles from a selected number of the groups, to the item to be identified and then confirming such identification by examining the marked item under high magnification with a light microscope.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,579, issued on Nov. 18, 1986, discloses a decorative composite article which may be longitudinally slit to form a yarn product which has a combined phosphorescent and fluorescent decorative appearance. The composite article includes paired outer layers of a thermoplastic resin between which is disposed a decorative layer comprising a composition including a colorant component having a phosphorescent colorant and a fluorescent colorant, and a resin binder material. The fluorescent colorant is present in an amount by weight that is up to an amount equal to that of the phosphorescent colorant. The present binder material may be selected from polyester, polyurethane and acrylic polymers and copolymers, with a mixture of butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber and polyurethane composition being preferred. The composite article is prepared by coating two resin films with the composition, followed by contacting the films with each other on their coated surfaces and applying heat and pressure to bond them together to form the decorative composite article.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,154, issued on Mar. 2, 1976, discloses a method and apparatus for recognizing colored patterns. The method includes encoding the colors of individual picture elements in a fabric pattern by comparing the level of transmittance or reflectance of the picture element at pre-selected wavelengths with stored values representing a reference color to generate a multibit code indicative of the color of the picture element. A comparator used for this purpose incorporates an error either proportional to the wavelength or of constant value so that the output of the comparator will indicate identity with the stored value if the input value for the picture element is within a certain range of the stored value.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,637, issued on Oct. 1, 1974, discloses the impregnation of spaced courses of yarn in a fabric with a material which is not visible under daylight, but which is visible only when subjected to ultra-violet light, so as to provide guide lines for cutting, or measuring indicia to enable visual counting of the number of yards of cloth in a roll from the end thereof without the necessity of unrolling the bolt.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,165, issued on Oct. 31, 1972, discloses a method of marking garments with a substance detectable by magnetic detecting devices. When the magnetized substance on the garment part is detected in a process of making garments, subsequent garment making steps are actuated in response to the detection of the stitching.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,547, issued on Feb. 22, 1994, discloses a method of cutting a sheet with a tool controlled by a computer system and in accordance with a cutting program wherein an operator marks certain particularities directly on the sheet using a fluorescent marker, the sheet is exposed to ultraviolet light while being scanned by a camera, the marking being interpretable as constraints on cutting to be taken into account by the cutting program, and cutting occurs following the instructions interpreted from the encoded pattern.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,706, issued on November 16, 1976, discloses an automatically controlled cutting machine having a support table on which limp sheet material is spread for cutting by means of a cutting tool and includes a marking apparatus to identify key points on pattern pieces cut from the sheet material. The cutting tool and the marking apparatus are mounted on a tool platform for movement to any desired location over the sheet material. The marking apparatus utilizes a needle which is suspended above the sheet material and a dye thread which is laced through an eyelet in the depending end of the needle. Each time a mark is to be generated, the needle plunges downwardly through the sheet material, and dye on the thread is rubbed onto the material at the point under consideration. An indexing mechanism operated with the reciprocating movement of the needle pulls a finite length of thread through the eyelet after each marking operation.
Thus, there remains a need for a system and method for controlling, enabling, and directing marking of goods during the manufacturing process and enabling detection/cross-validation of the marks so that the goods are uniquely identified and tracked throughout the stream of commerce. Still further, the marks should specify the final point or points of distribution of the goods. In addition, goods should be marked so that the markings are not readily observable and so that the markings contain sufficient information for product authentication, identification, and tracking. Furthermore, the markings should be durable and preferably resistant to normal wear and abrasion encountered in the manufacture, packing, shipping, distribution, portage and use of the goods by the final consumers. Still further, the markings should be relatively difficult to remove and, if removed, should preferably render the goods essentially unusable or in a condition which prevents distribution or sale.
The present invention provides an authenticating, tracking/anti-diversion, and anti-counterfeiting system which can track various goods. The system includes a control or xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d computer, one or more host computers which cooperate with the control computer, a marking system, and a field reader system, which are all compatible and can be physically linked via data transmission links. An identifiable mark is placed on the goods, products, packages of goods, or on materials out of which the goods are to be made, which enables subsequent inspection. The goods or packages can be field inspected with a field reader to determine the authenticity of the goods or to track the distribution of the goods and to determine the final point of distribution of the goods or packages of goods.
In one embodiment of the invention, marks identifying the final destination or point of distribution of a product is placed upon multiple package modules of a product. Package modules can be defined as containers, or containers within containers, of a product. Using the cigarette as an example, the first typical package module for cigarettes is a pack or twenty cigarettes, the second package module is a carton of ten packs of cigarettes, the third package module is a crate containing a one hundred cartons, the forth package module might be a xe2x80x9cland-seaxe2x80x9d type trailer container containing a specified number of boxes, and so forth.
In another embodiment of the invention, an identifiable mark is printed on a financial document, such as a shipping invoice, using ink not visible to the naked eye in normal light. When the invoice is presented for processing, it is placed in an on-site or xe2x80x9cfieldxe2x80x9d reader which captures the mark and decodes the mark to preferably an ASCII string. The field reader then transmits the ASCII string to a host mainframe computer wherein the mark is compared with marks residing in a database in the host computer. An authenticating match, and a final destination match, of the captured mark may or may not be obtained from the comparison. Results of these comparisons are then transmitted back to the field reader and displayed preferably in clear text.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, inspection uses light outside the visible spectrum to briefly illuminate marks on the goods under inspection. Through the use of responsive chemical agents such as dyes, that on exposure to non-visible light undergo a chemical, physical, and/or chemical-physical transformation making the marks detectable, an inspector can quickly determine whether the accused goods are marked and, if so, whether the mark is authentic. A mark, symbol, or pattern encoding input data conveying information about the goods is applied directly to the goods or to the material out of which the goods are to be made. The unique mark, symbol, or pattern encoding specific identification data can be tailored to meet the needs of a particular manufacturer. The mark contains specific information which is unique to the goods, not readily observable in visible light and which can be rendered detectable and readable upon exposure to non-visible light.
The preferred marks or patterns include areas where a marking agent or etching is applied and areas where it is not applied. Using the appropriate ink and illumination system, marks, which are invisible under normal light conditions, can be xe2x80x9coverprintedxe2x80x9d on existing visible marks. The pattern can be scanned or captured by a reader and deciphered into encoded data. The entry can then either be compared directly to a set of authentic entries on a database or decoded and the decoded data compared to a set of data on the centrally located host database. In comparing captured patterns with authentic patterns within a host database, the total pattern can be transmitted to the host, or alternately, the pattern image can be decoded by the field reader and transmitted as an ASCII string to the host for authentication. In still another embodiment, the symbol pattern is decoded by the field reader and identified with readable or xe2x80x9cclearxe2x80x9d text on a screen of the field reader. In this embodiment, authentication of the mark is not made at the host computer.
The system of the present invention is generally comprised of a control or xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d computer, one or more host computers, one or more marking systems cooperating with each host computer, such as a printer or etching laser, and a reading system typically comprising a plurality of readers. The host computer stores the specific, selected information conveyed by the mark or symbol and directs the marking system to imprint the mark or symbol on the package modules of manufacture, and also receives and processes information from the reading system. Alternately, the marking system can imprint the mark or symbol on an item which is subsequently attached permanently to the article of manufacture or package module. Each host computer is connected via modem to coordinate, receive, and respond to commands sent and received from the control computer, a marker terminal, and a reading terminal.
In operation, the control computer contacts a host computer and enables a specific number of imprints. The host computer establishes an appropriate identifying message, using clear text, such as the final point of distribution of the package module. The host interfaces with an encryption unit which converts the clear text message into an ID matrix symbol. The host then downloads the digital symbol to the CPU controlling the marker. The host also establishes marker start/stop serialized numbers and specific times the marker can be in operation. Once the marking cycle begins, a CCD camera mounted downstream from the marker maintains a continuous validation step that an appropriate symbol is being printed onto the product. If the printed symbol is different from that provided by the CPU, an error signal is activated to alert the operator. At the conclusion of the marking cycle, the marker CPU uploads a print count to the host.
From this point forward, marked products or package modules can be identified and verified through the use of field readers. The symbol can be imprinted, etched, embossed or otherwise placed preferably directly on the package module or, alternately, can be imprinted or etched on a fixture which is permanently or temporarily affixed to the module. Hang tags, attached labels, and other symbol carriers will suffice. The products are identified and verified by using a light of appropriate wavelength to illuminate the symbol on the products. The illuminated symbol is captured by the camera. The captured image is then transferred to a portable PC where the data is enhanced if necessary, compressed, and transmitted via modem, cellular link, or satellite communication to the host.
The host computer receives the data from the field reader, interfaces with the encryption unit where the message is decoded and converted to clear text. The host computer then searches the database to validate the identifying message. Once validated, the host computer sends a message back to the field reader which displays the decoded message and any other pertinent information pertaining to this specific product. If the marked product is counterfeit, or if the marked package module is found to be authentic but is not at the proper point for distribution, an invalid signal is transmitted and displayed on the field reader computer screen. Alternately, the symbol can be decoded within the field reader computer, and the decoded data can be displayed on the field reader computer screen. In this embodiment, no comparison is made in the host computer.
To further enhance security, all transmissions between the control computer, host computers, marker CPU, and field readers are conducted through enigma cards placed in each computer at the time of manufacture and initialized when the network is activated.
The control computer provides an allotment of prints or markings to the host computer. This communication is carried out via corresponding enigma cards which are located in the respective computers. Once each host computer has received an allotment of marks, it is able to enable marking systems to imprint marks on the articles or package modules as specified. Each host computer is limited in its ability to enable the marking systems to impart marks to the extent that the control computer has provided to the host the requisite number of marks to cover the directions sent to the marking systems. As an example, only a controlled and specified number of package modules can be printed with final point of distribution marks at a given manufacturing facility. Using the disclosed invention, even an employee of the manufacturing company can not, therefore, clandestinely manufacture additional unauthorized or xe2x80x9ccounterfeitxe2x80x9d package modules with authentic identifying and destination marks.
Each host computer interfaces with the encryption unit to generate a data matrix symbology which represents specified information that the manufacturer selects represented by the mark or symbol. Selected information, which represents the mark or symbol, is entered into the host terminal. The encoded mark or symbol is sent via modem to a specific manufacturing site where the encoded mark or symbol is received by the marker terminal and is etched, printed, or otherwise transferred onto material or package modules at the marking location which is remote from the control computer. This matrix is downloaded to the marking system for marking the goods. Following the placement of the print, a verification of the printed mark is conducted by a camera which compares the mark as printed with the mark directed by the printer PC. The goods can then be scanned by a field reader to verify authentic marks. Once the reader has captured the data from the scanned mark, communication is established by the reader with the host computer. The host computer compares the scanned mark with marks in its database to determine the authenticity of the mark or to track the goods.
The present invention provides a method for controlling and enabling the authentication and tracking of consumer goods to reduce the amount of counterfeit goods and to reduce the shipping of authentic goods to unauthorized points of final distribution. The method includes generating a unique pattern comprising an encoded input data entry stored on a mass storage device accessible by a CPU where the input data comprises a final point of distribution and a unique manufacturer identifier, and where the encoded data entry comprises a digital encoding of the input data. The unique pattern is preferably applied to package modules of the goods using an ink formulation comprising one or more chemical agents detectable when exposed to a visible or non-visible wavelength range of light. Non-visible ink can be selected such that the pattern can be xe2x80x9coverprintedxe2x80x9d on other marks which are visible under normal light conditions, and these overprinted marks can subsequently be read without interference from the visible markings. Alternately, the pattern is applied to the goods Or package modules by other methods such as etching, printing, painting or embossing. The method further comprises exposing the package modules with light in the visible or non-visible frequency range thereby making the pattern detectable, scanning the detectable pattern on the goods, decoding the pattern to retrieve the encoded data, and comparing the encoded data against stored encoded input data entries in the mass storage device data to determine if the goods are authentic and if the specified destination is correct.
The present invention provides a method for marking the final point of distribution of consumer goods to reduce the amount contraband shipment of authentic goods and a method for verifying the final destination of authentic goods; including a means for generating a unique pattern comprising an encoded input data entry stored on a mass storage device accessible by a CPU where the input data comprises at least a unique destination identifier and where the encoded data entry comprises a digital encoding of the input data, a means for applying the unique pattern to the goods using an ink formulation comprising one or more chemical agents detectable when exposed to a visible or non-visible frequency range of light, a means for exposing the goods with light in the visible or non-visible frequency range thereby making the pattern detectable, scanning the detectable pattern on the goods, a means for decoding the pattern to retrieve the encoded input data entry, and a means for comparing the encoded input data entry against all stored encoded input data entries in the mass storage device data to determine whether the goods are authentic and properly distributed.
The present invention also provides a method for authenticating consumer goods to reduce the amount of counterfeit goods including entering input data comprising at least a unique owner identifier and/or a unique manufacturer identifier into a CPU, encoding the data in a machine readable format, storing the data in a mass storage device accessible to the CPU, generating a unique pattern incorporating the encoded input data, and applying the unique pattern to the goods using an ink formulation comprising one or more chemical agents detectable when exposed to a visible or non-visible frequency range of light. Alternately, the unique pattern can be etched or embossed directly on the goods, or printed, painted, etched, or embossed on a fixture which is permanently affixed to the goods. The authentication process is completed by exposing the goods to light in the visible or non-visible frequency range thereby making the pattern detectable, scanning the detectable pattern on the goods or on a fixture affixed to the goods, degenerating the pattern to retrieve the encoded input data, transmitting the total image pattern or alternately transmitting a representative ASCII string, decoding the encoded data to retrieve the input data, and comparing the input data against all stored input in the mass storage device data to determine whether the goods are authentic. Alternately, the scanned pattern can be directly decoded in clear text for display and for evaluation at the location of scanning, and without comparison against marks stored in the host computer database.
The present invention also provides an authenticating system including a means for entering input data comprising at least a unique destination identifier and/or a unique owner identifier and/or a unique manufacturer identifier into a CPU, a means for encoding the data in a machine readable format, a means for storing the data in a mass storage device accessible to the CPU, a means for generating a unique pattern incorporating the encoded input data, a means for applying the unique pattern to goods or the package modules of goods or to a fixture attached thereto by etching, painting, embossing or by printing using an ink formulation comprising one or more chemical agents detectable when exposed to a non-visible frequency range of light, a means for exposing the goods with light in the non-visible frequency range thereby making the pattern detectable. The present invention also provides a means for scanning the detectable pattern on the goods, a means for degenerating the pattern to retrieve the encoded input data, a means for decoding the encoded data to retrieve the input data, and a means for comparing the input data against all stored input data in the mass storage device to determine whether the goods are authentic and are at the specified final point of distribution.
The present invention further provides a method for monitoring goods in a market including generating a unique pattern comprising an encoded input data entry stored on a mass storage device accessible by a CPU where the input data comprises one or more of a unique owner identifier, a unique manufacturer identifier, a unique plant identifier, a unique destination identifier, a unique lot number, an unique article number, and time and date information and where the encoded data entry comprises a digital encoding of the input data, applying the unique pattern to the goods, or to a fixture attached to the goods, by etching, embossing, painting or printing using an ink formulation comprising one or more chemical agents detectable when exposed to a visible or non-visible frequency range of light, exposing the goods with light in the visible or non-visible frequency range thereby making the pattern detectable. The present invention further provides means for scanning the detectable pattern on the. goods or fixture attached thereto, degenerating the pattern to retrieve the encoded input data entry, and decoding the encoded data to retrieve the input data to confirm shipment data.
The present disclosure provides an authenticating and/or tracking system in which a mark, symbol, or pattern is placed on goods or package modules of goods, or alternately placed on a fixture attached to the goods or package modules of goods, wherein the symbol does not detract from the aesthetics of the packaging of the goods or package modules of the goods. Preferably, the symbol is not visible on the module packaging under normal light conditions. Likewise, it is preferred that the symbol be relatively resistant to removal by abrasion during the manufacture, packing, shipping, distribution and use of the goods and package modules of the goods. Still further, it is preferred that the symbol be relatively immune to tampering and removal, preferably rendering the article to which it is attached relatively useless if removed. The symbol may be detectable in visible light or, alternately, only detectable upon exposure to certain wavelengths of non-visible light such as UV light, IR light, microwaves, radiowaves, or other frequencies of light.